epilogue' (1/5)
by dabadoo
Summary: What if Monica had chosen Richard instead of Chandler? (and i know there are like a billion of these stories so bare with me)
1. Default Chapter Title

'Epilogue'

What if Monica had made up her mind after Richard had proposed? Her conversation with Chandler at the pizza place influenced her, but Joey never told her about Chandler's plan.

I don't own any of these characters…

Monica had made up her mind. Chandler was totally against marriage and Richard finally proposed. Okay, Richard is the one, Monica said to herself. She was sitting on the sofa waiting for Chandler to come home so she could drop this 'bomb' on him.

The front door opened and Chandler walked through the door, smiling once he saw Monica. He made his way over to the couch, sitting next to her. He was going to do it. Monica felt horrible, he was so happy, how on earth am I going to do this?, she asked herself. 

"Sweety, I have to tell you something."

"I have to ask you something too."

"Okay, but I have to go first." Monica quickly said once his sentence finished. Still smiling, Chandler nodded, and she continued. "Okay, um," she swallowed hard. "Richard asked me to marry him and, I'm going to say yes." She watched as his face melted into sad eyes and a look of hurt and heartbreak. "I'm so sorry, but I want to get married, and well, he asked, and I know you don't want to so…" She paused a moment watching his face fall even more. " What was it you were going to ask me?" She asked whispering. Chandler felt his heart twist in all directions, he wanted to propose, but Richard had gotten there first, no he couldn't with out her thinking he's doing it to keep her his.

"Nothing… it wasn't that important." He quietly told her. "I'm gonna…I'm gonna…go, yeah…I'm gonna, go" he stuttered his words while making hand gestures towards the door. He picked his coat from the coat hanger then left, softly shutting the door behind him. 

Chandler stood in the hall, his back to his, now her and Richard's apartment. His eyes watered heavily, he plunged his hands into his pockets, then his right retreated, with a white ring box in his palm. He turned around, facing his ex-girlfriends door, Chandler took on last look at the ring then placed it in front of her door, on the floor, then walked down the stairs for the last time. Never planning on returning, because she to had managed to break his heart. So there he was, girlfriends-less, homeless, and now broken hearted.


	2. Default Chapter Title

A new Start- Chapter One

Continued from 'epilogue.' I don't own any of these characters…

It had been a week since Richard proposed. He had persuaded Monica into moving in with him and she agreed. It's just time to grow up, she kept telling herself. Richard and her had been spending more time together, getting to know one another better, like re aquatinted. The more time Monica spent with Richard, the more she agreed that she had done the right thing. 

The others were disappointed I both Chandler & Monica. Chandler; for not proposing sooner, and Monica for accepting Richard's proposal. It was easier to be mad and disappointed in Monica because she was the one who was round. Chandler had fled, the four understood, but why did he have to cut them out of his life also? They hated him for not calling to tell them he was all right and that he would see them soon. Joey felt the worst. He had lost him when he and Monica moved in together, and now he lost him all together. Ross too, he now lost his best friends, some one to teas about their collage years in New York University. The girls missed his humor and his gentle heart, how he always came to them with his relationships. They loved him for that. For being able to open and expose his heart. Not knowing it they were losing Monica as well. She was spending most of her time with Richard. Planning the wedding, moving boxes. Phoebe and Rachel were eager to know who would be the maid of honor, but not as enthusiastic as they would have been if Monica was marring Chandler. Even Ross was being pushed out of her new life.

Time came and went during the few months before the wedding. Chandler's left belongings were moved to the basement for storage. Richard had not felt comfortable knowing her ex-boyfriends closest things still sat in her bedroom. 

February 14, the wedding day. After the announcement in the paper of their engagement, the date was set for Valentines Day. The most romantic day of the year, a day nether would forget and would always cherish. After weeks of arguing over the color of bridesmaid's dresses, which ended up being a dark pink, everything went smoothly. Both Rachel and Phoebe were chosen for the maids of honor and Ross was canceled out as the best man. Even though he felt uncomfortable standing next to him fathers best friend and his sister's future husband, Ross put on a happy face. Joey was sitting in the front pew, he was mad that he hadn't gotten to be part of the wedding but he wasn't connected to any of them, only as a 'friends of the brides.' Monica stood in the back of the church ready to walk down the isle with her father standing next to her, in a satin dress holding 6 white roses in her hands, she and her father slowly walked down the isle towards the man she had first really loved.

As the priest asked the church if there was any objections, Rachel shouted.

"Yes, I do, she doesn't belong with him, she belongs with Chandler."

The others followed, boosting their opinion of why they wouldn't be together, but nothing was said. The priest continued on as if nothing had happened, because nothing had happened, it was all in their heads. The couple lovely starred into each other's eyes, seeing their future full of happiness, and blessed moments. 

The church erupted with applause as the couple left the church. The guests cascaded out the doors the see them leave. But one person was left sitting in the last pew, nearest to the windows and emergency exit. He sat there more depressed than ever, feeling his heartbreak more and more as he watched his life roll by like a movie, but in his head. Once he heard Monica agree to the vows he wanted to bolt out of the church as fast as he could. He didn't want to ruin her day. 

"May I help you my son?" The priest asked. Chandler looked up at him, sorrow in his eyes, 'I'm sure that he's never had a broken heart.' Chandler thought as he sadly looked at the man before him. 


	3. Default Chapter Title

A slow awakening- Chapter 3

Continued from 'a new start'. I don't own any characters, and please I would like feed back, but you don't have to.

Chandler woke up in an unknown bed that was cold and lonely. Yet it was the same bed that he laid in for he past month and a half. While the woman he loved slept peaceful and warm, he was cursed with insomnia, constantly thinking of her. He was now her ex-boyfriends. 'I could we have stayed friends after this?' he thought. For sometime he had felt the wait of a person sitting on him, not letting his breath right, or sit up, this happened ever morning, he had gotten used to it. Chandler pulled the comforter closer to his now shivering body, his mind wandered, which ended up being a very dangerous thing now a day.

After lying in bed for another hour, Chandler finally emerged into the small living room that caged a kitchen almost in the middle of it. He had only a stool, 19 inch TV and a very comfortable recliner. Those were the only pieces of furniture he had really felt compelled to buy. He had two mattresses that sat on the floor. And fuzzy blanket was thrown over the fluffed comfortable. He never bothered the clean the place. He didn't eat much, and when he did, it was always fast food, or at a business meeting during lunch so he had no use of the dishwasher. He only had suits that he left the apartment in and sweats and a few gungy T-shirts he had gathered on day from a storage house that held few collage memories. He left bad for ditching the others, for not saying good bye to Joey and tell him to take care of the girls, and to Ross, they helped each other out some much in collage. The girls he missed talking about problems that he couldn't solve with guys being around. But he had to do what he did. He had to let go, but it was he who was let go. He who was dumped for an ex-boyfriend. That was the lowest you could get, being dumped because suddenly she felt that she was better off with the ex. Chandler plopped down on the stool, and unfolded the Newspaper. He scanned over the pages of each section, and lately he was drawn to the obituaries. The thought of dying alone scared him even more as he read over the left lovers and family members of the deceased. 'Michael Johnson, died Monday morning in his sleep, leaving behind a devoted wife and three children.' 'Marry Coyner, died Monday afternoon of chest pains, leaving behind a loving husband, two children and five grandkids.' 'They never talk about the loners' Chandler thought as he folded the paperback up. 'I'm going to be one of those people that died and now one cared enough to place is obituary in the paper.' He crudely thought to himself. Then another thought entered his head, he hadn't been married once, his best friends and former room mate in collage had married three times, Rachel had married once and almost before that, Phoebe married her friends, Mon… is ex was now married, is own mother married four times, and counting, and for him, nothing. Just the mark of a broken heart that would never be healed.

The past months were so depressing for him that he would go for weeks with out shaving. He'd let a bread start, and after is got about a quarter inch in length he'd shave and start again. No one bothered to tell him he needed to shave at work, because they all knew what had happened to him. The phone rang in his apartment. He never answered it anymore, he just let the answering machine get it. His voice came on: "leave a message at the beep." The beep sounded and a familiar voice came on.

"Hey sweety, I'm in town and I would like to get together, and I promise no alcohol, no books and no guys. Call me at the Hilton room 436. Love you, mom." Chandler signed, picked up the phone and dialed her number. She was one of the only people he really ever talked to any more. He didn't interact with many people out side of work so he knew few people now.

"Hey Mom." Chandler greeted Nora, they kissed each other on the check and took their seats. It was a nice restruant. Not to fansy, more for business lunches and small things like that. They chatted through out the meal, then Nora finally brought up a subject that Chandler wasn't to fond of. 

"Now don't be mad, but I met this girl…" before Nora could finish, Chandler cut her off.

"Mom, I don't want to go out with any one. At least for a while, the next month or two."

"Honey you have to get over her. She moved on, why can't you?"

"Because I was finally going to ask her to marry me, but she chose Richard instead. She broke my heart. Has any one, truly, broken your heart mom? Have they?" Nora was silent. The topic was never brought up again.


	4. Default Chapter Title

Found part 2

I don't' own any of these characters…

"Hey Ross, it's me, Monica, listen I was wondering if you were coming to the ultrasound. Call me back if you are, oh and Richard's off tomorrow night do you want to go out to dinner? Call me back, love yah." The message beeps off as Ross sorted through his mail. Most of them were bills, rent, gas, electric, and a postcard that had a picture of Disney land on it. He flipped it over and read the inscription.

Hey Ross and Rachel:

I must say that Florida rocks! Carry and I are having the best time. You two should come down here for your honeymoon. The sun is almost always out and dude, I have the best tan ever. Oh and you will never believe this but Carry talked me into getting a tattoo. Can you believe it? Anyway I'll show it to you when we get together again. We'll see you guys soon, and hey don't be surprised if by the time you get this we are already home, so far for the postal system! See you both soon!

Chandler and Carry

Ross smiled, he was happy that his friend was happy, but he wished that he was happy with his sister. Even enough he hated to see them all lovie-dovie, he felt terrible that they didn't end up together, he had asked Monica at one point why she had chosen Richard instead of Chandler, she replied that she didn't have a choice, Richard was ready of a commitment, and Chandler wasn't. What really killed him was that he had the ring Chandler was going to propose to Monica with. For years he'd had it but could never bring himself to give it to her or back to Chandler. He confided in Rachel that he had it. He told her that he went over to the apartment to see if Chandler had proposed yet and when he got there, the white box sat in front of her door. He picked it up and looked inside a noticed that the ring itself was still in it. So he hadn't proposed, that's when he entered the apartment and saw Monica sitting on the couch talking on the phone. She didn't see him there and was talking to Richard. She was saying things like, 'I love you so much Richard,' and 'I can't believe we are going to get married.' That's when he knew that he couldn't tell her what Chandler had left for her to find. 

Ross picked up the phone and called Monica back.

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Everyone was at Central perk. The place was dressed up with baby stuff. It was the baby shower and the guys were throwing it. Gunther suggested they have it there so that they could invite a lot of people. The most important person was missing along with her two other friends. They knew what was going on and decided to take her out shopping while the guys decorated for the surprise party.

"They're coming!" A man yelled out. Everyone scrabbled around. Ross, Joey and Richard all went up to the door. Rachel opened the door and let her pregnant friend walk in, once she was in everyone yelled surprise. She looked around and say pink bears and bags all around the coffeehouse. Joey ran up to Phoebe and gave her a welcome back kiss that lasted about a minute. Phoebe had tears in her eyes. Everyone had gone through some much work for her, it was like her baby shower when she was carrying the triplets, but this time she would be able to keep the baby and in return get to marry one of the dearest people she knew. Richard walked up to Monica and put an arm around his wife. They had been trying for a child since he proposed. Monica was happy for her friend, but hated that she couldn't get what she always wanted. From time to time she wished that she would have stayed with Chandler, but she also knew that it would have been forever until her proposed to her, so she thought she did the right thing. The shower was going great; Phoebe loved the little clothing that she would be able to dress her little girl in. After each present she would wipe her tears that fell.

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Chandler was in town to visit his mom. She was in the city for the night so he decided to introduce her to his new girlfriend. They had been dating for three months and she helped him a lot. Carry and him walked into the rainbow room. They had reservations under Nora's name. They were seated and were now waiting for Nora to join them. Chandler was trying to calm down a now paranoid Carry. She was worried that Nora wouldn't like her and that she wouldn't approve of her only son dating her. Chandler thought that to be impossible, but when he meet Carry's father, a General in the military, in understood her nervousness, he had reacted the same way. They were sipping their drinks when Nora joined them. She kissed Chandler on the check then shook Carry's hand. The lunch had gone great, Nora loved Carry. The talked about everything, even Nora's writing. Chandler chose that moment to excuse him self and use the bathroom. Chandler had called up Joey and told him that he was going to be in town for the day and wanted to get together for dinner. Joey agreed and invited the others also.

Chandler yawned as he sat in the cab waiting to get to the restaurant where they were going to meet Ross, Joey, Rachel and Phoebe. He closed his eyes and right before he fell asleep, carry shook him and told him they were at the restaurant. They walked in holding hands, Chandler was still trying to stay wake, he hadn't been getting to much sleep lately. The others noticed Chandler standing next to a tall blond girl. They caught his attention then drew him over to them. When Chandler saw Ross he was flooded with the memory of Monica and what pain she had caused him. During the meal, they all ended up telling Chandler about themselves now. Phoebe explained that she was happy that her and Joey were getting married and in a few more weeks would have their baby. Ross and Rachel explained their wedding, and how Ross had searched for him, they wanted all their friends and loved ones to be there for their day. When the time came Chandler had to tell them about him. How he left, and moved to Boston, and grieved for over a years and a half, until he meet Carry. They continued to talk, about everything over again. But Monica was never brought up. Everyone felt that Chandler might be uncomfortable talking about her, or having to listen about her life now. 

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It had been a few weeks. Ross had just gotten off the phone with Chandler. He had to cancel their dinner plans because Rachel and Joey haven't been feeling well. Chandler accepted his apology and confessed he was going to call up and cancel because he and Carry wasn't feeling to well either. 

Ross entered his apartment. Rachel was lying on the couch under a heavy blanket when the phone rang. Ross walked over and answered it.

"Ross Phoebe's water broke!" Joey yelled over the phone. "Hurry and get to the hospital we are here please hurry I don't know what to do!"

"Joey calm down, remember, Phoebe had the triplets, she knows what's she's doing!" Ross helped calm Joey down for a few more minutes but then a nurse came by and asked Joey to follow her. Ross helped Rachel up and into a cab a sort time later. She was coughing wildly as they approached the medical center. They rushed into the front doors; one nurse approached them and took Rachel away. Ross told her where he'd be if she needed anything then hurried off to find Phoebe and Joey. Shortly after Ross and Rachel arrived Monica and Richard arrived. Monica bolted to Phoebe's side, holding her hand, and encouraging helping her through one of her contractions. Phoebe started to feel on of the larger contractions hit, she was screaming at the guys, Joey got freaked then left her and Monica alone. Ross and Richard left also, not feeling to comfortable in the room while one of their closest friends was going through such a hard time. Monica walked out of the room and told Joey that they were going to start the birth now, he went in and 25 minutes later came rushing out.

"Oh my god this must hut so bad but hey, I got a daughter!" Everyone, including Rachel congratulated them then walked in to see the baby. Rachel waited out side the room, peering in through the window in the door. She was silently drying, everyone was so happy for Joey and Phoebe and in another week they would be happy for her and Ross, and their marriage. 

The baby was named Angolan; she weighed 8 pounds and 4 ounces. She was 17 inches in length and very healthy. 

One more left and that's it for this series, sorry, but don't expect it for a few more days, because I have huge paper due this Friday and I can't seem to find the energy to write it (it's 25% of two of my three classes!)


	5. Default Chapter Title

Found- Chapter 4

I don't own any of these characters. This takes place after 'A slow wakening- chapter 3'

It had been a year and nine months since Monica's wedding. Ross had been rejoicing over the fact that he was once again getting married, for the fourth and final time to the woman he loved for over 10 years. They had been engaged for months and were busy planning the wedding. Though the wedding had to be pushed back to accommodate their friend's pregnancy. Both the Bride and the groom were happy to be having a niece or nephew at e wedding. And happy they were having a baby to keep among them selves. But they were sad that not all their friends would make the wedding. For months during the engagement, Ross had searched for Chandler. Wanting him to be there when he married Rachel. But as days turned into weeks and weeks to months Ross's hopes slowly diminished. 

Rachel and Joey were in Chicago, for a few days, going to fashion shows nothing but tall women in underwear and lingerie. Joey was in heaven. After missing the opportunity year's back, he wasn't going to miss this one. 'Models in underwear and high heals, here I come' Joey bragged for days before leaving. The two were walking down the street looking into windows at cloths and electronics, taking the tours of the Chicago city, when a man violently brushed up against Joey. 

"Hew watch it." Joey told the man, while spinning around to look at the rude man. He got around he noticed a black leather fold in his hands. It was Joey's wallet. The pick pocketed' ran off once Joey noticed it was his, and quickly chased after to him.

"Stop him" Joey, yelled, as the gap between the two men grew wider. Suddenly Joey says the thief and a man that was leaving a restaurant crash into each other. Joey tried his hardest to catch up to the men. Noticing the thief was getting up, Joey yelled.

"Stop him, he stool my wallet!" The man, who crashed into the thief, grabbed his leg, as he was about to take off again. The thief fell to the sidewalk, breaking his nose as his face hit the cement. Blood ripped from his nose. He was going to be down for a while. Once Joey caught up to the men, he reached out for his wallet, and turned to the other man who was in the process of getting up.

"Hey that's for stopping him man. He wouldn't have gotten very much out of me." Joey opened the bill section to show nothing. "I really like this wallet, it was a gift from my friend…" Joey looked at the man's face as he now stood straight up. "Chandler!? Dude what are you doing here?" Joey asked while hugging his long lost friends.

"It's great to see you Joe." Chandler remarked still in the hug. They drew apart, and started talking what Joey was doing in Chicago.

"So what are you doing here?" Joey asked.

"I'm here for a meeting, it's starts in a half an hour." The clatter of heals soon followed Chandler answer. It was Rachel.

"God Joey you don't have to run so fast. I'm in heals you know." Rachel turned her head to see whom he was talking to. She was stunned.

"Chandler!? Oh my god, what are you doing here?" She asked as she flung her arms around him, hugging him tight. Chandler embraced the hug.

"I'm here for a meeting." 

The three got together after Chandler's meeting, talking about their lives now. Joey has had some good rolls on Broadway but was currently out of a job. Rachel told Chandler that after he left Ross and her got back together, taking things very slow, and now engaged. It was Chandler's treat, dinner, to celebrate Rachel's engagement, and for not getting them a present. And for not saying good bye. With the reason Chandler gave they under stood. 

"By the way did Monica get the ring?" Chandler asked sipping wine. Joey looked at Chandler.

"She never got a ring from you, no."

"No she never saw it. But I do now what happened to it." Rachel said to Chandler.

"What."

"Ross was coming over to your guys place, and when he got to the door, he heard Monica talking to Richard on the phone. Then he looked down because his foot had tapped something, and he saw the ring box. He has it." The three sat in silence, no one questioned why Ross had the ring, but they all thought that he must have a just answer.


End file.
